Our transport on Saturday, Nov. 1, took us from home in Kansas City, MO, to Emporia, Kansas, to pick up a kitten with a broken leg and a young cat.

The baby spent the drive back to KCMO for the transfer to the next driver singing and talking to us, probably expressing discomfort, considering she was on her way to get medical care for the broken leg.

The cats are now at the Animal Lifeline of Iowa facility, a no-kill shelter in Des Moines, Iowa, specializing in special needs animals. The kitten will get medical care and both will be placed in adoptive homes best suited for their needs.

One of the unique aspects about these trips is the special people you meet on the road. Each person is another volunteer – no one is getting paid to give up a big chunk of a day to get animals from point A to point B.

Certainly no one is paid to put up with sometimes nasty weather or heavy traffic or construction delays. And even Casey’s and QuikTrip food can get a little heavy on the tummy!

But we also get to meet the great folks who run the shelters, like the Animal Lifeline program in Des Moines. We know from volunteering at the Kansas City Pet Shelter that it takes a lot of effort by the community, staff and volunteers to make a no-kill shelter work. So here’s the pitch: Find your local shelter, volunteer, donate, help!